MarkAm

Just a follow up - I've been playing with D5300 footage shot in the Neutral and the Z-Log L profiles. For Z-Log-L, an input color space of Rec 709 or srg with the input gamma for Fuji F seemed to get me to a quicker good starting point when using a CST starting node on a non-color managed workflow. But with Nikon's neutral profile, I found it odd that input settings of Rec 709/Rec 709 gave me a slightly more contrasty starting point than when selecting srgb/srgb for the input color space and gamma settings. I assumed the results would be identical. Selecting Rec 709 or srgb for input color space made no difference - the shift was caused by the different srgb or Rec 709 gamma setting. What's more, leaving it to Davinci Resolve to do the conversion in an automatic color managed workflow led to a third different starting point that was in between the Rec 709 and srgb gamma input settings in terms of contrast. And taking a closer look at the gamma settings Davinci chose for the managed workflow, all Davinci would tell me was that it was an "other" gamma setting. So poking around the interwebs I came across this handout on Nikon's Color Management System: https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/Scan4/NikonScan-4_CMS_en.pdf. While it is focused on color settings for Nikon scanners (and their previews) it does discuss Nikon's color management generally. Long story short - the handout points to an srgb color space and gamma 2.2 for images that are previewed on window's based computers. And sure enough, in Davinci Resolve when I selected srgb and gamma 2.2 for the input color space and gamma on a starting CST node, the results were identical to the results that came up in the Davinci Resolve automatic color managed workflow. So somehow Davinci Resolve seemed to pick gamma 2.2 for its input setting when doing the transform on its own. Granted the gamma shifts are not that dramatic from one setting to the other and we're just "transforming" from Rec 709 to Rec 709 or srgb to srgb. But still, for what it's worth, a Rec 709/srgb with gamma 2.2 might be as good a place to start when input color space and gamma settings are required.

Thanks, yeah it seems no matter what picture profile I choose for shooting in camera I'm going to have to do a bit of experimenting to use a CST node. The N-Log gamma in the input settings for DR are probably directly mapped to the N-Log picture profile in the Z9's and the earlier cameras outputting to an external recorder. I might try it but I'm guessing the mapping will result in some color shifts somewhere. I think my only other option to start off with a "what the camera saw" first-step approach that Mostyn and to some degree Kelley use is to use my X-rite color checker in lieu of a CST node and use DR's color chart matching feature. I'm kind of surprised someone out there hasn't come up with a picture profile that maps directly with one of the default gamma settings in DR to make this process much quicker for folks shooting with pre-Z9 nikons. (Heck, even finding tutorials videos with an example of a CST node used on Nikon non-N Log footage is hard to find.) Anyway, I'm a noob and the math/technical aspects of creating a pp that maps directly with a gamma in DR is way above my head so perhaps it's a bit harder and there may be some proprietary issues as well.

Just following up - after watching a few Mostyn tutorials and Cullen Kelley's excellent beginner's tutorial, I'm back to my initial question. Each uses a CST node to take log footage to a reasonable starting point to begin corrections and grading in Davinci Wide Gammut/Intermediate (or to go directly to a Rec 709 output). So if I'm shooting video on my D5300 with the Nikon Z-Log L picture profile, does that picture profile map to any of the Davinci input color spaces and gamma settings in CST, understanding that the color space transform just gets me to a starting point?

Thanks so much for the great advice! I've started watching Darryn Mostyn'stutorials and will also check out Cullen Kelley's and the video's you included here. Thanks so much again!

Disclaimer: Complete Noob here learning how to grade my own videos. I'm starting off with clips from a D5300 shot with the Nikon Z-log - L color profile that I want to grade in Davinci Resolve. I know these clips are in the sRGB color space so if I am adding a node with color space transforms is my best approach to select sRGB for input color space and gamma? I was thinking of outputting to Davinci Wide Gamut & Intermediate and adding a few more nodes to grade before adding another CST node to go from DWG/I to Rec 709. Am I better off with some other input color space and gamma as a starting point? If I were to shoot with the Cinema Z-Log S-Off, same question - would I select srGB for the input color space and gamma or would I be better off with some other input color space and gamma?